Owen County, Kentucky solar ordinance
Solar: 2,000 ft (Intermediate and Large-Scale SES) from property lines, 2,000 ft (Intermediate and Large-Scale SES) from roads. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 8, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Solar rules
4 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackIntermediate and Large-Scale SES1. Setbacks. The SES footprint shall be setback no less than 2,000 feet from any non - participating property line and any right - of - way for a publicly maintained roadway or rail - line. | 2,000 ft |
Road setbackIntermediate and Large-Scale SES1. Setbacks. The SES footprint shall be setback no less than 2,000 feet from any non - participating property line and any right - of - way for a publicly maintained roadway or rail - line. | 2,000 ft |
Setback from rail-lineIntermediate and Large-Scale SES1. Setbacks. The SES footprint shall be setback no less than 2,000 feet from any non - participating property line and any right - of - way for a publicly maintained roadway or rail - line. | 2,000 ft |
Fence heightIntermediate and Large-Scale SESAccess to the site must be controlled by a fence of at least eight (8) feet in height with a vegetative landscape buffer provided between the fencing and the property line. | 8 ft |
Source: Owen County ordinance (PDF), read October 8, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
Kentucky state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All Kentucky rules and counties.
State siting: Kentucky State Board on Electric Generation and Transmission Siting
A merchant plant of 10 MW or more needs a state construction certificate, on top of any local zoning.
KRS 278.700 to 278.718. Source
Solar standards in state law
Default setback for merchant solar of 10 MW or more that the Siting Board certifies; where the county or city has planning and zoning, its own setback, height and decommissioning rules replace these, and elsewhere the board may grant a deviation.
| Residential neighborhoods (5+ acres, 1+ home per acre) | 2,000 ft |
| Schools, hospitals, nursing homes | 2,000 ft |
| Decommissioning | Bond: present value of decommissioning cost, or the local bond amount |
KRS 278.704(2)-(4), 278.706(2)(m) (as amended by 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 152 and ch. 198). Source
Every Kentucky figure in one spreadsheet
92 figures from 15 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus the moratorium or ban on file and Kentucky state law.
How these figures were read
We found Owen County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in Owen County, KY?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 2,000 ft (Intermediate and Large-Scale SES) from property lines and 2,000 ft (Intermediate and Large-Scale SES) from roads. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.